Was “The Economist” unter vollständiger Demotratie versteht, wird so beschrieben:Countries in which not only basic political freedoms and civil liberties are respected, but which also tend to be underpinned by a political culture conducive to the flourishing of democracy. The functioning of government is satisfactory. Media are independent and diverse. There is an effective system of checks and balances. The judiciary is independent and judicial decisions are enforced. There are only limited problems in the functioning of democracies.

Dem Demokratieverlust in Spanien wegen der Katalonien-Krise wird ein kleiner Abschnitt im Democracy Index 2017 gewidmet:Spain’s democratic credentials suffer In 2017 the steepest score declines in western Europe were recorded by Malta (-0.24), Spain (-0.22), Turkey, (-0.16) and France (-0.12). At 8.08, Spain’s score remains just above the threshold for full democracies. However, the national government’s attempt to stop by force Catalonia’s illegal referendum on independence on October 1st and its repressive treatment of pro-independence politicians have put it at risk of becoming a “flawed democracy ”. After a unilateral declaration of independence by the regional parliament, the national government temporarily suspended Catalan home rule. Several pro-independence leaders have been jailed on remand and face serious criminal charges and 30-year prison sentences if found guilty.